Question to the Home Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what has been the longest time period to return a foreign national offender who volunteered under the Early Return Scheme since 1 April 2024.

The information you have requested on the longest time period to return a foreign national offender (FNO) under the Early Removal Scheme (ERS) since 1 April 2024 is not available from published statistics.

The Home Office does publish data on FNOs removed under ERS in the ad-hoc transparency release, which can be found here: Returns from the UK between 1 July 2024 and 31 July 2026 - GOV.UK

FNOs are referred to the Home Office for deportation immediately following sentencing. Time spent on remand means many prisoners will reach their ERS window immediately or very soon after they are sentenced. It is therefore not always possible for the Home Office to carry out all the case working and administrative processes as soon as an FNO becomes eligible for removal under ERS, even when they wish to return voluntarily.

The Home Office has worked closely with HM Prisons and Probation (HMPPS) to ensure the ERS runs as efficiently as possible and in the last year (ending July 2026) delivered a record number of ERS returns, 3,141 which is a 20% increase compared to the same period 12 months prior.

We are committed to delivering justice for victims and safer streets for our communities. Foreign nationals who commit crime should be in no doubt that the law will be enforced and, where appropriate, we will pursue their deportation.